Method of direction finding



June 8, 1937. w, RU GE 2,083,242

METHOD OF D IRECTION FINDING Filed Jan. 28, 1935 INVENTOR WI LH ELM RUNGE ATTORNEY Patented June 8, 1937 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD or nmEc'rroN rmnnvo Wilhelm Runge, Berlin, Germany, assignor to Telefunken Gesellschaft iiir Drahtlose Telegraphic m. b. H.. Berlin, Germany, a corporation of Germany Application January 28, 1935, Serial No. 3,730 In Germany January 27, 1934 6 Claims. (Cl. 250-11) (Granted under the provisions oi sec. 14, act of March 2, 1927; 357 O. G.

The present invention relates to radio direcof the directional eflect of the antenna system is tion finding and in particular to a method of diobtained by electrical means. rection finding within three dimensions of space. In Fig. 1 the polar diagram of the receiving With the direction finders as at present in use, antenna is shown. The diagram exhibits the 5 the bearing is characterized by the orientation form of a sharply concentrated beam A having 5 e of the receiving system, which produces minithe maximum axis OK. This characteristic is mum signal intensity. This kind of direction made to rotate on an axis OY, which makes a finders hereinafter is called a minimum direcsmall angle to with the maximum axis OX. The tion finder" as distinguished from a maximum methods of revolving the characteristic will be direction finder, whereby the bearing is deterexplained later. When the beam is rotating, the 10 mined by t Orientfltlen 0 the receiving Sys variation of the signal intensity depends upon the for reception of maximum Signal strength. One position of the transmitting station with respect disadvantage of the minimum direction finders to the rotation axis OY. For illustrative purconsists in the fact that the minim m P tion poses, let it be assumed that the cross section of is p 150 he made u e t y t e presence of the beam is circular and the transmitting station 15 stray signals, parasitic radiations and the like. 'I' is located accurately on the rotation axis OY. Hence the indicator reading is caused to deviate The signal strength does not depend on the rotafrom the true hearing. If the direction finder is tlon at all. If the transmitting station T, howequipped with sharp directional properties in ever, is disposed aside the rotation axis OY in order to eliminate the detrimental effect of the any direction, the reception will fluctuate and be- 20 said parasitic radiations and is used as a maxicome loudest, when the maximum axis OX apmum direction finder, one has to take into conproaches the straight path between the origin sideration the general defect of the maximum point 0 and the transmitting station T' (dashed direction finders, that the bearing is fiat, owing line in Fig. 1). To take a bearing, the operator to the fact, that the dlfierential quotient of the tunes in the required station and moves the re- 25 signal strength with respect to the orientation is ceiving aerial until the rotation axis OY takes a nearly zero in the neighbourhood of the maximum position such that the signal strength remains reception. That means, the sensitivity of the constant while revolving the directive charactersignal strength to deviations from the true bearistic OX on the rotation axis OY. Then the ing is relatively small. transmitting station is located on the line CY. 30

The present invention has for its object to in- Rotation of the directional characteristic may crease the sharpness of the bearing obtained by be obtained in difierent ways, by mechanical a direction finder with a sharply directive wave means as well as by electrical. Fig. 2 shows, collector. In accordance with the invention the partly in section, areceiving apparatus employing overall-characteristic cf the highly directive rethe invention R designates a Pa abolic reflector, 35

ceiving aerial is made to rotate on an axis deviatin the focus of which a dipole a a D is 10- ing by a small angle from the direction correeated- A represents the 1 d a m of the spondmg to maximum s1gnalstrength o wave collecting system, the maximum axis of caution is necessary, however, and that is to see Which s determined y OK. A transmission line th t th polarization of t directive aerial is t 15 connects the dipole antenna D to the receiver r. 40 substantially changed. The general features of The mirror R is piwted on a bearing 1 and is the invention will be best understood by the fol- Provided with a Pulley The reflector is con lowing description when read in connection with tinually revolved at constant Speed by means the drawing in which a belt drive I) and an electromotor 111,. All the Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically the directional parts are assembled on mounting plate which 45 effect of a receiving antenna constituted in acmay be revolved on the vertical axis and the horizontal axis as, e. g. by hand wheels. The cordance with the teachin s of m invention,

Fig. 2 shows a vertical cr oss-sectional view of a angular position may be noted from dials or receiving antenna in combination with a reflector, fig eigtiifi es gg o ie t lfe ia h a fis fitil 12: and means for variably orientating the directionsignal strength remains constant i may be al effect of the combination three-dimensionally; noted, t t th t tm xi ()Y and th x!- and mum vector 0X include a small angle a.

Fig- 3 ShOWS diagrammatically a modification Fig. 3 shows another embodiment of the invenof my invention in which a variable orientation on, R, designates a, plane metal sheet, sew. 55

ing as reflector, in front of which four groups of dipole antennas D are fixed. The dipoles of each group are interconnected by parallel wires e. The wave energy collected by the dipole groups 5 is led to the receiver r over transmission lines t. If the arrangement is symmetrical, the vector of maximum receiving intensity is perpendicular to the reflector plane R. The directional characteristic may be made to rotate on a diverging axis OY by cyclically varying the effective length of certain transmission lines t. This may be accomplished by short circuiting a part of the respective line by means of a rotating switch S.

It will be apparent that the invention is not restricted to the physical construction illustrated in the drawing but that various changes may be made, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed, is:

1. In a direction finder, an ultra-short wave receiving antenna, means including a metallic reflector for rendering said antenna sharply directional, means for orienting the axis of general directivity of said antenna and its reflector into any desired position of aim, and means for causing the sharply directional axis of said antenna and its reflector to be rotated continuously in such manner that it circumscribes the surface of a cone Whose axisis coincident with said axis of general directivity.

2. In a direction finding system, a radiant energy collecting device comprising antenna elements and a reflector which in combination possess sharply directive receiving properties, means for orienting the axis of said directive properties three-dimensionally, means for producing cyclic repetitions of orientation in a given direction, and means including receiving apparatus connected to said energy collecting device for indicating variations in the signal strength of radiant energy received during a cycle of operation of said orienting means.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 and further characterized in that said reflector is in the form of a substantially fiat surface.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 and further characterized in that said antenna elements comprise a plurality of dipoles.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 and further characterized in that a plurality of transmission lines is provided for connecting said receiving apparatus to different portions of said energy collecting device, and means are provided for cyclicly short-circuiting different pairs of said transmission lines, thereby to effect a rotation of the directive axis of said energy collecting device about an imaginary conical surface.

6. In a direction finding receiver, a radiant energy collecting device comprising a plurality of groups of antenna elements, each group comprising interconnected dipoles, means including a substantially flat metal sheet suitably disposed in respect to said energy collecting device to give the latter a sharply directive receiving characteristic, apparatus for indicating that direction of orientation of said energy collecting device which provides a maximum response to received signaling energy, means including transmission wires for transferring energy from said dipoles to said indicating apparatus, and means for cyclically varying the eiiective length of different pairs of said transmission wires, thereby to produce a rotationally variable orientation of the directive axis of said energy collecting device about an imaginary conical surface.

WILHELM RUNGE. 

